News

Russian dancer convicted in Bolshoi Ballet acid attack

Compiled by Tony Hicks

Contra Costa Times

Posted:
12/04/2013 11:04:35 AM PST

Updated:
12/04/2013 11:05:37 AM PST

Russian dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison Tuesday for his role in an acid attack that almost blinded the Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director, according to NBC.com.

A Moscow judge handed down the sentence after convicting 29-year-old Dmitrichenko and two co-defendants in the Jan. 17 attack on Sergei Filin, which burned his face and badly damaged his eyesight. The attack reportedly exposed emotional rivalries at the Bolshoi Theatre and damaged its reputation.

Russians seem to take their disputes pretty seriously. It's a good thing they haven't figured out how to develop nuclear weapons, or we could be in real trouble.

Former Bolshoi ballet dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko (R) is escorted by policemen for a sentence reading at Meshansky district court in Moscow on Dec. 3, 2013. (EPA/Maxim Shipenkov)

The website said Yuri Zarutsky, who admitted to throwing acid in Filin's face, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Andrei Lipatov, who drove Zarutsky to the scene, was sentenced to four years.

During the trial -- during which Dmitrichenko pleaded not guilty -- the dancer admitted he wanted Filin roughed up and had given Zarutsky the go-ahead to hit him, but said he didn't want acid used.